Vinicius Junior's late heroics secured a thrilling 3-2 Madrid Derby victory for Real Madrid against Atletico, turning the tide after an early setback.
The highly anticipated La Liga clash at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu saw Real Madrid, sitting second with 66 points, face fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, who had 57 points. Both teams sought a crucial win in their respective league campaigns.
The first half unfolded with typical derby intensity, characterized by robust challenges. Atletico's J. Cardoso received the game's first yellow card in the 27th minute for a foul.
Atletico Madrid then drew first blood. In the 33rd minute, Ademola Lookman connected with a pass from Giuliano Simeone, slotting the ball past the Real Madrid goalkeeper. This gave the visitors a surprising lead.
The physical nature of the game continued, with Atletico's M. Ruggeri picking up a yellow card just three minutes after the goal. The score remained 1-0 to Atletico at the interval, leaving Real Madrid with much to ponder.
Real Madrid returned for the second half with renewed determination, needing a swift response to avoid a costly home defeat. A more attacking approach was visibly adopted by the hosts.
Their efforts quickly bore fruit. In the 52nd minute, Vinicius Junior stepped up to calmly convert a penalty, bringing Real Madrid level. The atmosphere inside the Bernabéu ignited as the hosts found their stride.
Just three minutes later, Federico Valverde completed a rapid turnaround for Real Madrid, firing home to make it 2-1. Atletico then made multiple substitutions, including Antoine Griezmann, to regain control and find an equalizer.
However, Atletico responded in the 66th minute. Nahuel Molina, fresh from a substitution, netted a crucial goal, assisted by Julián Alvarez, to level the score once more at 2-2. The tension was palpable with both sides pushing hard.
The drama was not over. In the 72nd minute, Vinicius Junior scored his second goal of the night, guided home following an assist from Trent Alexander-Arnold. This restored Real Madrid’s lead, sending the home crowd into raptures.
A late twist saw Federico Valverde receive a red card in the 77th minute for tripping, forcing Real Madrid to see out the remainder of the match with ten men. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Real Madrid held firm against a determined Atletico side.
The match statistics painted a clear picture of the contest. Real Madrid recorded an Expected Goals (xG) of 2.42, far exceeding Atletico's 0.91. The hosts fired 17 total shots, with 10 on target, maintaining 53% ball possession. Atletico, however, committed 15 fouls to Real's mere two, underlining their physical approach.
This hard-fought 3-2 victory keeps Real Madrid firmly in the La Liga title hunt. For Atletico Madrid, the defeat is a setback in their pursuit of a top-four finish, highlighting the competitive nature of the league.
